1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for washing and drying a substrate and an apparatus therefor, and more particularly to a method for washing and drying a substrate used for the production of a semiconductor device such as, for example, a silicon wafer, glass mask or the like and an apparatus suitable for practicing such a method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, the washing and drying of a semiconductor wafer which has been subjected to processing and a chemical treatment is carried out in a manner to put the semiconductor wafer carried on a carrier or retainer in a high speed rotating unit to wash the semiconductor wafer and dry it utilizing centrifugal force generated by the rotating unit. However, such a conventional method unfortunately causes the generation of dust from a revolving shaft of the rotating unit, which adheres to the semiconductor wafer during the rotation of the unit. The conventional method has another problem that semiconductor wafers adjacent to each other are contacted therebetween during the rotation of the unit to cause chipping of the semiconductor wafers. Further, such chipping leads to the contamination of adjacent semiconductor wafers due to adhesion of the chips thereto. Thus, it will be noted that the conventional method has an important disadvantage of failing to carry out the washing and drying of a semiconductor wafer in good yields. Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide a method for rapidly carrying out the washing and drying of a substrate in good yields while keeping the substrate clean during the operation.